THE name of Pio was known to me many years before I met him. As early as 1952-53 when I was still a student at the Medical Training School, Pio was already known to us by name as one of the few outspoken Kenya nationalists among Asians.

In his his many roles as a nationalist Pio played a very key role in the formation of the Trade Union movement at a time when the movement was still illegal and enjoyed no legal status. He together with people like Makhan Singh, Chege Kubachia, Fred Kubai and Aggrey Minya can never be forgotten when the History of Trade Union Movement is being discussed.

Pio was detained during the Emergency because of his nationalistic support for the masses and because of the role he played in the formation of the anti-imperialist East African Trade Union Congress, which was later banned.

While under detention - Pio used to give encouragement to the nationalists and Trade Unionists who were continuing the fight against colonialism. When Trade Unionists and Politicians called for a boycott of buses, beer, etc. during Kenyatta Day, Pio wrote to our Union congratulating us, but added that "next time organise better, and if possible it should be a national strike demanding Mzee Kenyatta's release.

When Pio was released I met him for the first time in Mombasa. He met the dockworkers who admired his role in the struggle and he in turn told them that the struggle would never be over until we achieved economic liberation.

Pio made many suggestions on ways and means of reorganising our unions thereby making them not only stronger but effective instruments for hastening political and economic independence. We agreed with Pio that the

attainment of economic independence would be impossible as long as our Trade Unions remained dominated by the I.C.F.T.U. which is an agency of the same powers which dominated our country politically and economically.

We therefore started crusading to make our trade unions non-aligned by pressing for disaffiliation from the I.C.F.T.U. We, that is, Messrs. Ottenyo, Makanyengo, Wachira and some others boycotted stooge Trade Union rallies and conferences, and Pio went around explaining our point to Ministers, Members of Parliament and others.

When in 1964 a split became open in the Trade Union movement, we decided to form our own Federation which was to be non-aligned but Pan African in outlook. Our first Federation, the Kenya Federation of Progressive Trade Unions was not registered because the registering authority had a vested interest.

Pio was with us in the struggle and although all of us regretted the split in the Trade Union movement we maintained that our unions must become non-aligned and therefore the struggle must continue. We therefore formed another organisation, this time we called it The Kenya African Worker's Congress. By this time workers were supporting Congress en mass and Pio had arranged for us to renew our friendsliip with Brother John Tettegah of the Ghana Trade Union Congress, also the Secretary-General of the All African Trade Unions Federation. Pio also organised a number of Members of Parliament to back us when they too saw the need to have a new non-aligned Trade Union Centre committed to Africa's unity.

At the beginning of 1965 it became clear to the imperialists that we were determined. With Pio having organised the Members of Parliament and having made the issue a continental one by renewing our relationship with Brother Tettegah and knowing President Kenyatta's stand for the unity of Africa, the opposing organisation knew that our battle was half won.

In a desperate attempt to hold things back, Congress supporters were intimidated and victimized by employers and finally the cold-blooded imperialists laid their hand on Pio. We were all shocked by the brutality of the imperialists, but far from discouraging or frightening us, if anything, this only strengthened us and made us even more determined.

Pio died too soon to see the results of his efforts in Labour but I am sure it would have pleased him to nkow that Kenya now has an united Trade Union movement which is non-aligned and which is waiting to affiliate to a Pan-African Trade Union movement within the framework of the Organisation of African Unity.

Pio fought for Independence, Kenya is now free; Pio fought for a non-aligned Trade Union movement in Kenya, this has now been achieved. We who are still alive can only do what Pio would have done - continue the struggle until the country is completely free.

Imperialists and their stooges will never destroy Pio's work. Pio's determined stand for the cause, the fact that he knew of the imperialist plot against him, but remained fearless, will not be forgotten. Pio remains a great inspiration to us all.